Fullmetal Alchemist: Mystic Design
by Sinnel
Summary: A mysterious girl appears in Rush Valley saying that Mustang has sent her to aid in Ed's quest. Who is she? And how can she aid him and his brother in their quest? EdXOC AlX?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is my first Fanfic on . If you are reading this now and you have come from my bog, then hello! I did my best with this regular Fanfic and hope you enjoy it! I will try to update this once a week, but no promises of course. This will follow the first anime series, for I have not watched the Brotherhood, but I probably will now when I have the time. I hope for positive reviews and constructive criticism! Please no hating on me. We all do our best. **

Thunder boomed and rolled in the clouds above. They threatened to unleash their own tears. The atmosphere seemed perfect for the funeral that was being held.

People gathered around a coffin, some sobbing others just blankly staring. Two people stood out above all others, the daughter and wife of the deceased man. The mother had to pick up the young girl as she screamed, "Why are they burying daddy? Make them stop, mommy!"

As I heard his daughter's shrill voice I fell to my knees. The trees concealed my grieving form. My hands covered my face as the grief racked my body, making me shake with the held back sobs. The tears snuck past my numbed hands, falling to the ground below. It was my fault. My fault he was dead. Why did it have to be him? Why…

I did not know how long I kneeled there, but it seemed like an eternity. When I looked up there were two figures standing in front of me; both wore the familiar blue military uniforms. I knew who they right away from the descriptions I had received of them.

Fury filled black eyes met mine as the man stepped forward. The woman remained behind him, her gaze rested on me, never leaving. I stood, meeting his unwavering gaze with my faltering one. I did not wish to be shown mercy, not by anyone…not anymore.

"You are the intelligence that Hughes spoke of?" Within those black pools was a flame, a burning hatred.

"Yes…" My voice cracked.

Silence ebbed between all of us; the only sound that could be heard was the beginning patter of the rain.

The woman reached into her jacket causing me to flinch. I expected a quick bullet to the head, but it did not happen; I was always too quick to jumping to extremes. She took out a sealed parchment and handed it to me. I took it from her, very wary of both their movements.

"It is a signed document that gives you the momentary military benefits you need." The man began to explain. He took out another piece of paper, this time from his jacket. I took it from him as he continued to explain, "This is a detailed description of what you are to do while you serve under me."

Silence gripped us once more. Looking up from the paper I asked, "Why?"It came as a whisper.

Those black eyes still held the fire but this time they burned for another reason. "It's what Hughes would have wanted. He decided he could trust you, so do not give me a reason to question his judgment."

Tears threatened to spill once more. With a thick gulp I held them back. Saluting them both, "Yes, Colonel Mustang sir!"

The train raddled and steamed as it finally came to a stop. My back cracked as I stretched. "Why do these train seats always make my butt numb?" Whining to myself did not help my poor booty. Once I exited the train I took out the 'detailed' description of my mission. "Detailed my ass…" The only thing the worthless paper said was to find and help the Fullmetal Alchemist. At least it told me where to go, Rush Valley.

I frowned as I looked down at my wrinkled poncho. The brown poncho was too big for me and went down to my knees. Sighing I began my grueling search for the Fullmetal Alchemist.

The sun began to set as I trudged down the street. Citizens were beginning to thin out, heading into their homes for the night. I had looked in alleyways, asked people, looked into windows, eaten at many diners and candy shops, and even looked on top of rooftops, but I still could not find the Fullmetal Alchemist anywhere. Obviously my luck was not me, never was of course.

Anger overwhelmed me as I kicked a rock against a wall. The rock rebounded and went into the alley. An echoic thump could be heard seconds later. I peered into the alleyway and saw a big shadowy figure stand. Luminous red orbs darted toward me, staring me down. I could feel my heart shuddering from fright.

The figure took a noisy step forward, causing me to take one step back. I had bumped into someone as I stepped back. The persons hand grasped my shoulder making me jump. I swiftly turned around and as an automatic reaction my hand went up, my fist smacking the person in the face.

"I'm so sorry!" Panic set in as the person collapsed. Kneeling down I grabbed the boys red cloak and helped pull him up. Soon enough he was on his two feet rubbing his face. In between his fingers I could see his bright gold eyes staring at me in annoyance.

"Brother, are you alright?" An echoic voice asked from behind me. Turning my head I saw a large suit of armor looking at the boy I had knocked over.

Wait…a suit of armor? An armor of metal, talking? Metal…

My eyes widened with excitement as the realization hit me! I jumped up and clapped for myself, a wide smile on my face. "Yes, I finally found you!"

The armors attention was now on me. "You were looking for me?"

"Yes, I was! It is nice to finally meet you Mr. Fullmetal! I am-" My sentence was interrupted as a gloved hand was placed on my shoulder. Turning I was met with an angry face from the young man I hit. Annoyance pricked me, "Excuse me but it is very rude to butt into someone's conversation." I pried his hand off my shoulder and turned back to the armor.

Ed's POV

Who does this girl think she is? Not only does she almost kill him, but she then insults him by mistaking Al as him. And now she called him rude! If anyone was rude it was this strange girl in front of him!

Anger ripped through him, making a vein pop in his head. Instead of yelling, he began tapping her shoulder continuously. It had no effect at first, but after about thirty seconds, he finally got the reaction he wanted.

"What the hell do you want, you pint sized shrimp?" Her yell echoed in his ears over and over.

That had done it. "Who the hell are you calling a pint sized shrimp?" His yell had been a lot louder.

"You! Why are you being so rude?"

"I am not being rude! If anyone here is the rude one it is you!"

"How am I the rude one?"

"Hmmm, I don't know. Oh wait, when you punched me in the face!"

"I said sorry and even helped you up!"

Edward stopped there, huffing and puffing.

"Okay, you two stop this! You are causing a scene." Al's soothing voice seemed to cut the tension in the air.

Looking around, Ed could see a decent sized crowd beginning to form. More annoyance poked him, "Come on people, we are not a circus, keep moving." At his words the crowd parted, mumbling amongst themselves. He turned back to the girl who had her arms crossed in an annoyed stance. Her dull purple eyes glared at him.

"Miss, I am sorry but you mistook me as someone else. I am not the Fullmetal Alchemist, that is my brother's title."

Ed smirked to himself. Now she would have to grovel and beg him for forgiveness.

"Oh, I see. I am quite sorry." Ed thought her words to him at first but quickly he realized they were not. He glared at the girl who was facing Al. Her short dirty blonde hair swayed in the wind as she turned to glare at him once more.

Jeez! What was this girl's issue?

"It is quite alright. But may I ask why you are here, looking for my brother?" Al was so sickingly sweet, but that was why Ed loved him so much.

"I am here to assist the Fullmetal Alchemist on his quest. That is what Mustang has ordered of me." Ed's attention was quickly brought back to the girls.

"What the hell? Why did Mustang send a babysitter?" Ed scowled at her.

"I am not a babysitter, so please refrain from being rude for a few seconds, if that is possible for you." Ed bit back a comeback. "If you do not like this then you can take it up with Mustang, but until I complete this mission, or assigned a new one, you are stuck with me."

Before Ed could yell at her once more Al butted in. "Who are you exactly?"

A smile radiated towards Al, "My name is Leah."

**End of Prologue /chapter 1! I did my best when it came to grammar! I am not the best at it and do not have an editor except for myself and my computer so if you catch a mistake then just ignore it. I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review! I welcome pm's!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey people! Here is chapter 2 of Mystic Design. I now have an editor/collaborator that is helping me with the story! I have decided that a new chapter will be put up every other weekend. So look forward to it! This chapter was a little difficult for the fact that I wanted to make it a lot longer. I had to cut out a scene; luckily it will appear in a later chapter so look forward to it. And ty!**

Leah's POV

"Why are you following us?" Ed was easily annoyed.

I sighed, "Are you deaf? I have been assigned to assist you." I followed closely behind Al; so far he was my favorite.

"But, I have told you! We don't need a babysitter-"

"Where are we going?" Ed's fury multiplied as I interrupted him. A smirk played on my lips, he was fun to make mad.

"We need to find our friend, Winry. She got mad at Ed because he cheated at an automail arm wrestling match." We all stopped walking as Ed turned to glare at Al.

"Oh wow Ed, not only are you rude but a cheater to?" My grin grew, going from ear to ear. Ed's gold daggers fell on me.

"I saved people from being conned! They were cheating first, with alchemy, so my cheat doesn't even count!" He was about to reach a boiling point. Can I and should I push him?

Gold daggers were met with purple as a silent were waged between me and Edward.

"Come on you two. No more fighting." Al stepped between us both. He may have stopped the battle but the war was far from over. "She is only following orders brother. We should respect that and try to get along." His words caused me to smile.

"Hopping up, I wrapped my legs around Al's metal waist and my arms wound around his neck. "Piggy back ride! Yay for Al, my new best bud!" He seemed a bit baffled but after a second he played along. Al and I led the way up and down the streets looking for Winry, as a sulking Ed followed behind.

All night…

We searched all night and still did not find Winry.

The sunrise did little to warm me, despite laying my arms across the top of the bench. My blonde hair wisped around my face as the breeze picked up. Ed sat to the left of me and Al sat to the right of me, both a bit down in spirits. I could understand why, they had no idea where Winry is. They were most definitely worried.

My eyes darted to Ed's hand. It was made of metal…I just realized that. I felt sort of slow, but oh well. Curiosity pricked me, I wanted to ask him how he lost his arm but I did not want to be rude. My sensitive side won.

"Jeez, where could she be?" Ed's whine ringed in my ears.

"I hope she is alright." It was difficult to tell Al's emotions, but it was not hard to tell he was upset.

Huffing a sigh I stood up and brushed off my poncho. "Come on you two, your depression is contagious. Sitting here won't solve anything. It is morning now so she is probably searching for you now."

Optimism is just as contagious as pessimism. They seemed to brighten up to my words.

"You are right, let's go look." Al stood up beside me and turned to his brother. "Come on brother."

"Yeah, yeah." A warm smile played on my lips. They did not need a whole lot to cheer up.

Winry made our job easy. After a few minutes of searching she found us. The bright blonde ran up to us with a tan girl beside her. Winry's big blue eyes darted towards me and stayed there.

Before she had a chance to say anything Ed said, "Where have you been?" The annoyed alchemist glowered at her.

"Sorry for going off the handle yesterday." Winry clapped her hands together in a pleading gesture and smiled.

"Oh, you were the girl from the wrestling match yesterday." Al's echoic voice was filled with surprise.

"Sup?" I looked at the girl closely, analyzing. She had an automail arm much like Ed's. Her camo pants covered her legs so I was not able to tell if those were automail or not as well.

"Her name is Paninya; she let me stay at her house last night."

"That's a relief to hear. We were worried you slept outside." Al was very kind.

Ed could I please see your watch for a second?" I thought for sure Ed would say no but instead the young blonde grumbled and took out his watch. In a quick second it was snatched away by Paninya, the chain breaking as she ran with it.

Before anyone had a chance to react, she swiftly jumped onto a nearby roof, using carts and boxes as her leverage. Turning to face us all she held up the gleaming watch, "Thank you very much." that stirred Ed into action.

Before he could leap after her, Winry yelled getting his attention. "It is a test Ed. If you can make catch her before she makes it to the pawn shop you can have your precious watch back."

"Winry!" Ed had not time to give her a huge rant. Paninya began to run across the roof and Ed leapt after her.

I glanced back at Winry who was staring after Ed. "He needs to learn to appreciate good automail." My respect for this stranger grew; I could tell she deeply cared for this boy. I liked her a lot just from this performance, what I liked most about her was that she knew how to infuriate Ed.

A smirk played on my lips as I recalled Ed's shocked face as Paninya snatched his watch. My blissful moment of recalling the memory was soon over as a big explosion was set off not too far from here. Looking up I could see a big cloud of smoke that told me where the two were. Before Al or Winry could say a thing I set off running down the street.

When I could find good enough leverage I made my way onto of a roof top. Jumping from one roof to the next I scanned the scenery for them both. "Damnitt, I don't want to fail on my first day!" I could tell now that this boy was going to be a lot more trouble than I had originally thought.

My eyes found their target and I jumped into action. As I finally reached the roof Ed snatched the pocket watch from Paninya. I could hear his triumphant laugh from where I stood. "Good job Ed, you can handle yourself better than I originally thought." My praise came too soon as I noticed Paninya losing her balance. Before I could leap into action she fell backwards, her scream echoing.

Launching myself forward I was prepared to leap down off the roof and help her. Ed's next action stopped me dead in my tracks. He clapped his hands and pressed them down onto the roof. I could hear the transmutation and several grunts. Ed had saved Paninya, but I could not bring myself to smile.

I stared dumbfounded at the boys back. I now knew why he had an automail arm and why his brother had to wear that suit of armor. They had attempted the taboo, and made sacrifices. Ed had seen the Gate.

**I wanted to make this chapter a lot longer but I decided against it cause I like this cliffhanger a ton! How does Leah know about the Gate? How is she able to piece all of this together so easily? There are many questions about this one character, which will all be answered in due time. Thank you very much for reading. Plz review!**

The color drained from my cheeks as it all pieced together.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello people! Here is chapter 3! And I have some good news! I have finished the Brotherhood series (I CRIED! SO BEAUTIFUL) and so I have decided to make this fanfiction follow a bit of both Brotherhood and original! I am very excited about that! I would like to apologize about an error I have found in the first chapter when I went back and reread it on . It was an uploading error and the original space I had between the two scenes (after she saluted Mustang and it went right to her getting off the train and what not!). I have tried to put the space in it however no matter what I do it refuses to let me put it there. TT^TT if someone could message me on how to fix it I would adore that person for the rest of my life. Anyway I am very sorry about that error! And that this is a long author's note… Here you go! Chapter 3, enough of my blabbin.**

**Start:**

I sat there astray in my jumbled thoughts. My eyes saw nothing and I heard no one. So many questions swam around. Who had Ed and Al tried to bring back? How much have they seen? How much do they know? Had they met…

"Hey, Leah?" Ed's annoyed voice snapped me out of my trance. He stood in front of me, hands at his hips. "About time I got a reaction out of you. Al was wondering if you wanted anything while he was out." My gaze went to the suit of armor who stood near the door.

"Candy would be nice." It was difficult, but I was able to plaster a smile on my face.

I did not know if Al bought it or not but he left without a word; leaving me, Ed, and Winry.

I was on the floor in the corner while Ed had the couch and Winry one of the two beds. The room was small but enough for the four of us. We had come to an Inn after Ed saved Paninya. Winry had asked questions earlier about me and had promptly hit Ed on the head when he called me a stupid babysitter; I quickly decided I liked Winry. There had been many conversations but none that I had been truly part of; after witnessing Ed's alchemic skill my mind had been wandering off constantly.

"Why did Mustang send you anyway?" Ed prevented me from spacing out again, his question drawing my attention. The seriousness in his tone told me that I could not avoid this question.

"Because…" I got up from my corner and walked over to the couch, dropping down next to the golden haired boy. Propping my feet up on the coffee table in front of us I grinned, "I'm a badass." Just because I thought I was unable to avoid it did not mean I would not try; that and Mustang had strictly told me to keep Hughes death a secret from Fullmetal. It hurt to even to even think about Hughes death so not talking about it seemed ideal anyway.

"That's not an answer!" Ed's anger amused me.

"To me it is; it seems like a very truthful answer."

"Badass my foot! I bet you can't even fight." It was a challenge; a challenge I was not able to respond to.

Winry whacked Ed in the head with her wrench. "You are not going to fight while I am here! The last thing I want to see is you wrecking my precious automail!"

I stood up and hugged Winry, rubbing my cheek against hers. "Thank you Winry, Ed is so mean." My dramatic whine escalated as Winry played along and hugged me back cooing in my ear.

"It will be okay; I won't let that mean boy pick on you." Did I mention I liked Winry? Because I really did, she played along with my dramatic performances.

Ed lay on the floor, twitching; an immense red lump on his head. "Damnitt…women." His mumble was audible enough for me to pick up snippets.

Letting go of Winry, I crouched down and poked Ed's cheek. His gold eyes turned to me. My breath hitched for a second as I stared into them. They held such fire and determination that for a second I thought I pitied him enough to spare him. Just for a second…

"Take this as a lesson for the future, Edward. Don't mess with women." A wicked grin etched my lips.

I heard the gulp and could not help myself. Falling backwards, I busted out laughing. Winry joined in, but with giggles instead of the hysterical fit my lungs were having.

Swiftly standing up, Ed snatched the front of my poncho. "Damnitt, stop laughing at me!" His lips were in a slight pout, his cheeks were ablaze, and his golden brows were furrowed in anger but his eyes betrayed his true emotion, embarrassment.

My arms snaked around his neck and I pressed my cheek against his. "Awwwww, Edward you're so adowable when you blush." Heat transferred from Ed's cheek to mine.

Winry's giggles had escalated to full-blown laughter. She had to grip the bed post to keep from falling over and onto the floor.

"Brother, there is trouble!" Al stumbled in at the perfect time. This guy's timing amazed me. The metal armor stared at the bizarre scene.

Awkward silence…

"Am I interrupting?" Both brothers were so shy, it made me want to hug them both to death.

A pair of cold, gleaming eyes came from behind Alphonse. A man suddenly stood towering behind him. Only one word could describe him, huge. His muscles bulged underneath his petit green shirt. He was especially intimidating.

I stopped rubbing my cheek against Ed's as the small alchemist paled and tensed up. In one fluid motion, Edward had pushed me off of him and ran to the window opening it. Before he had a chance to make his brilliant escape, a shoe collided with his face. The force sent him flying past me and crashing into the wall.

'Such strength.' I sat there staring at the culprit who climbed through the same window. It was a woman, to my surprise.

She promptly dusted off her white dress and brushed her black dreads aside. "You're so predictable, Ed." Despite having the death glare she was still quite graceful. I could not help but admire someone who caused trouble for Ed. "Now where is Alphonse?" She gave the room a sweeping glance, and as those black daggers swept over him the suit of armor straightened up.

"Ma'am!" Why was he so nervous? Sure the woman had a killer strength, but besides that she did not seem too awful, at least to me.

"Oh, I am sorry sir. We appreciate you leading us here. Can you tell us where Alphonse is?" As she spoke she rubbed the back of her head and smiled at him. I smiled, thinking myself right. She was so well mannered.

"Oh, well you see, I am Alphonse." His echoic voice trailed off leaving a second of silence. In that second of silence the woman had flipped the heavy suit of armor, and unfortunately I had been in the way.

"Why me?" The whimper escaped my throat.

"You idiots!" With her hands at her hips she faced Ed, who now stood. His golden eyes bored into hers as she lectured him, never breaking eye contact. "I came to find you fools! Did you not think that I would hear that my students broke away from my teachings?" I take back what I had said earlier, she was the exact opposite of what I had first judged her to be. "How dare you become a dog of the military; I have the right mind to-" Her lecture was cut short as she suddenly spurted out blood.

"Izumi!" "Teacher!" Muscle man wrapped an arm around her, keeping her sturdy. Al leaped off of me, finally, and went to Ed's side as they hovered over the coughing woman.

Following Al's lead, I rose to my feet and cowered behind Winry. She would protect me from this crazy lady!

"I'm fine dear, thank you." Izumi's coughing fit now over, she stood on her own. Despite saying that muscle man still stood closer obviously still worried. She gave him a fleeting smile.

"Teacher, you don't understand-" Ed's plea was in vain.

"No, you don't understand! It seems I am going to have to re-educate you both!" Her sweet smile did not last very long; a look of pure fury contorted her beautiful features. Seeing such a terrifying sight, caused me to cower further behind Winry. I always thought of myself as a badass, but I knew that this woman was not one to trifle with.

Muscle man gleamed and brought out a thick rope. Both brothers hugged each other as they cowered at the couple. My intuition was right; these two are going to be a lot more trouble than I bargained for.

Winry's POV

The morning sun illuminated the train cart, causing it to be enveloped in warmth. The noisy train whistle cried as it chugged along the tracks.

Winry sighed as she watched Ed and Al squirm around in their bindings.

"Damnitt, she took my watch!" Ed huffed .What was Winry going to do with him? Another sigh left her mouth.

"Serves you right Ed. It's your fault for not telling your teacher." Leah sat next to her. Her purple eyes glared at Ed.

"Oh, shut up already!"

"It's your fault I got caught up in her wrath! Because of you I might have a nasty bruise on my delicate and beautiful skin." A dramatic sad look struck her face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. You poor thing!" Sarcasm dripped from Ed's voice.

Those two continued to squabble back and forth making Winry and Al sweatdrop.

Winry watched them and smiled. She had not seen Ed this lively in awhile and it was refreshing. Leah's presence was comforting, but, still, Winry could not help to wonder about this mysterious girl. She appeared out of nowhere and they knew nothing of her. Where did she come from? Where was her family? What was her motive for joining them?

"Hey if you're not careful your head will start smoking." Ed's voice snapped Winry out of her train of thought.

"What was that?" She growled at the alchemist after realizing what he said was an insult.

"N-nothing!" He flinched and averted his gaze quickly.

"That's what I thought." Sighing once more she rested her chin against her hand. "I never thought your alchemy teacher was such a beautiful woman."

"What are you talking about? You have met her before Winry." Raising his eyebrow, Ed eyed her carefully.

"That's right, remember the time when it would not stop raining and the river was flooding?" Al chimed in.

Thinking for a moment, she realized what they said was true. She recalled witnessing her move a ton of earth at once, with her alchemy, to prevent the floods reaching civilian homes. If she had not been there that day who knows would have happened. "That's right, I remember now. Even then she had been violent. She smacked Ed for calling her an old lady." She laughed at the memory.

Ed sweatdropped and Al laughed as they both recalled it as well.

"Where are we heading, exactly?" Leah's voice drew their attention.

"Dublith, probably. It's going to take all day and night to reach there. We will get there in the morning." Winry noticed something flicker across Leah's face as Ed spoke, but it was wiped away before she could pinpoint what it was.

"Are we going to stop for the night?" Did she not like riding on trains? Winry knew the seats were uncomfortable but it was not that bad, was it?

"Did you not hear me? It is going to take all night to get there, so of course not!" Rolling his eyes, Ed looked away from the glowering girl.

It stayed silent for several moments. Ed and Al remained restrained. Leah stared out the window as Winry watched her. Her skin was so pale but looked soft to the touch. Those insightful purple eyes sparkled as the sun reflected off of them. Her dirty blonde hair was long in the front and framed her face, while in the back it just reached her past neck.

Winry blushed as she realized how long she had been staring at her. She averted her gaze but it was quickly brought back as she noticed something among the tendrils of thick hair that lined the back of Leah's neck. Winry could just faintly see something, but what? Inconspicuously, Winry tired to lean in to get a better look.

"Curiosity killed the cat." Jumping at Leah's voice, Winry quickly sat back up and whistled.

"I'm sorry! I thought I saw a, piece of lint!" Quick excuse, but it was too late to take it back.

"Oh, well thank you for being concerned." A soft smile appeared on Leah's lips.

Blushing even brighter, Winry averted her gaze. Now the blonde felt a bit bad for invading in Leah's personal space.

"Awwwww, Winry you look cute to, when you blush. Everyone here is falling for me so easily." An arm was wrapped around Winry's shoulder. "Don't fall too hard now; we need you to fix Ed up. He is too incompetent to go a month without breaking his arm." Ed blew up at this.

"How dare you! You don't know that! You just met us yesterday!" He gnashed his teeth together and squirmed even harder against his bindings.

"Oh, but I do know. I can tell that you are one to get in trouble easily, just by looking at your trouble making face."

"Are you calling me ugly?"

"Maybe."

A giant string of insults came after that. The two bickered back and forth once again. Soon enough Leah got up and pulled on Edwards cheeks stretching them as far as she could. Al and Winry guffawed at the way Ed's face had been contorted by the stretching.

Al's POV

The day was over now, and it was well into the night. The train still chugged along its tracks.

Soft snoring buzzed around the train cabin. Looking to his side, Al watched his brother sleep soundly despite still being tied to the suit of armor. He lightly chuckled at his brother, no matter where or when Ed could find a place to sleep. His brother's mouth was wide open; most of the snores came from him. The braid that kept together his hair was a bit messy but still intact. Al mentally smiled.

Looking in front of him he saw both girls. Winry's head was leaning on Leah's shoulder. Small snores came from the mechanic. Her hair was a bigger mess than brothers, but to be expected because it was a lot longer. Both brother and Winry looked peaceful as they slept; he began to yearn to have his body back even more.

Al's gaze finally rested on Leah, to his surprise the girl was still awake. She was still staring out of the window. Al thought for sure she had been the first to fall asleep. Her brows were furrowed as if she was in deep thought. He had noticed the same look on her face last night, when they had been in the inn. Something was troubling her.

"Are you alright?" He could not help but ask.

She faced him smiling. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"The look on your face now is the same one you had last night."

Closing her eyes, she smirked. "Hm, you are very perceptive Al. It's going to get you in trouble one day."

"So what is bothering you?" He was persistent.

"Don't worry about me; I'm sure I will find the answer to my questions when the time comes." A playful smirk lined her mouth.

He did not respond after that, instead he stared at her. She was so baffling, and it confused him. "Excuse me, I'm sorry if it offends me asking you but, why did you join the military." Curiosity got the better of him. If she said she did not want to answer the question, he would not pry further.

She did not respond to the question, instead she just looked out the window.

"I'm sorry if I pry too much; I was just curious. You don't have to answer."

"I did not join the military." She responded as soon as Al finished his sentence.

"Huh?"

"I am not part of the military. I guess you could call me a secret agent." Lightly laughing she looked back at him. "I only work for Mustang, for now at least."

"I see…" His echoic voice trailed off. This answer did not satisfy his curiosity but he did not want to pry further. 'She will tell us more when she is ready.'

"Any other questions, Alphonse?" His attention was snapped back. She was offering him a chance to ask any question he wanted.

He took the opportunity. "What about your family; aren't they worried?" Family was important, so naturally he would want to know that this young girl's parents and siblings are not worrying.

Leah's face darkened, her stare becoming hard as stone. She was staring at him, but he could tell that her mind was elsewhere. Her limbs were rigid and shaking lightly. Al was puzzled by this reaction.

"I…I don't have a family; not anymore." That was all she said. Her concrete gaze now glared at the window. "I'm sorry if I seem rude, but I am very tired. You can ask me questions later on. I'm sorry Al." Her tone grew softer along with her taut limbs. She placed her chin on top of her hand and shut her eyes.

'What was with that reaction?' Al was perplexed. Swallowing his questions the suit of armor looked down. "I'm sorry Leah; I did not mean to bring up bad memories." She did not respond.

Throughout the night Al occasionally glanced at the strange girl. Her breathing had never evened despite being asleep.

**How was that my fans? So mysterious she is! A lot of important things are going to happen in the next chapter! Leah acted cowardly by hiding behind Winry but in the next chapter you're actually going to see her in action! A lot of Brotherhood is going to be put into this so be prepared! Review!**

**Ed: Please review, she might kill characters off from people not reviewing. *shudders* She gets scary when she is moody. **

**Me: Of course! Didn't Leah tell you, fear women Ed. **

**Ed: *gulps* please review, for our sake. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello Peoples! I am so excited for chapter 4! I am sorry about it being late. It was my last week of school and I have had a really busy weekend, between prom and finalizing stuff for graduation and actual graduation itself! Please forgive me! Sadly the action I had planned for this chapter has not shown itself. Instead I had this in mind! But trust me; there WILL be action in the next chapter! I, myself, am tired of seeing my character cower away in fear of Izumi. **

**Leah: So why make me scared of her? **

**Me: Because she is a scary woman that no one, and I repeat NO ONE, should mess with. **

**Leah: She doesn't seem that scary to me. If anything, just very protective. **

**Me: Oh, just wait. **

**Leah: Huh? **

**Me: *evil smirk* **

Start:

Leah's POV

I fought back the memories that attempted to flood my mind. How did I do it? Easy.

The tender meat melted against my tongue. The sweet tang of the gravy complimented it so well as it went down my throat. When I closed my eyes I could see bright stars. This was the best food I have had in awhile and I was relishing every bite, but in a haste like fashion.

Shoveling the food in my mouth, I was quickly done with my plate. My hand rubbed my stomach as I leaned my chair backwards. "Mrs. Izumi, you are the best cook I have met. The way you cook your meat makes it so tender and flavorful, practically to die for!" Everyone but Izumi stared at me dumbfounded.

"Well, I appreciate the compliment young lady." A small smile etched across Izumi's lips.

Despite eating all of that delicious food, I was still hungry. I began to eye Al's untouched plate, my mouth watering.

"Al, aren't you going to eat?" Izumi's voice grew stern. She had not even glanced at the suit of armor, instead was promptly cutting her steak.

"Uh, I'm not very hungry." The poor boy stuttered.

"You need to eat Al." She was persistent.

"Mrs. Izumi, since Ed and Al are so good at alchemy; that must mean you are even better, right?" She looked at me, an unreadable expression across her face.

"You flatter me, I am but a housewife." A smirk replaced the previous expression. It remained silent for a few moments. Al sat there staring at his food, Ed ate slowly, and Winry had just finished. "What about you, Leah?" Izumi's voice brought my attention back to her. "What kind of alchemy do you perform?" She now eyed me carefully.

I get it, in some strange way this was a test. A small laugh left my lips, "Oh no, I'm not smart enough for all of those equations and formulas." My eyes drifted from her to muscle man, whose name I now knew was Sig. The man was biting into a big piece of meat, tearing it right off the bone.

"Hmm, I see. And why are you traveling with the boys again?" I felt like I was being interrogated by an overprotective mom.

"I was assigned to assist them on their journey." I faced her once more, her eyes glowering at me.

"No, I am not formally part of the military."

"Wait, what?" Ed's shocked cry met my ears. Despite his cry being slightly annoying, I appreciated him butting into the tense conversation. "You said Mustang assigned you to aid us."

"He did, I work only under Mustang, momentarily at least." I crossed my arms. In less than 24 hours I have had to explain this twice; it was more than a little irking.

"Momentarily, what do you mean?" This time Winry spoke. The confused blonde was leaning forward waiting for an answer.

With a heavy sigh, I glanced at each person. Sig was still eating the piece of meat, Izumi was analyzing me, Ed just stared defiantly, and Al was only looking at me. A pang of guilt swept through me, but I brushed it aside. 'I'll apologize later.' I thought to myself. With another heavy sigh I began. "I was only passing through Central however _something_ happened and Mustang called upon my assistance." It was quiet. "In all honesty I owe Mustang, that is why I agreed to work for him; I told him only momentarily though." It was still quiet.

"What happened in Central that made Mustang need your help?" Ed broke the curtain of silence. His fierce golden eyes were on me, and my emotions wavered. They had the right to know Hughes was dead, but Mustang ordered me not to tell them. Yet…

Taking in a deep breath, I drew out the tension. I looked at Ed square in the eyes and said, "Top secret." A wide grin flew to my face. It was difficult to hold back the hysterical laughter as Ed made one of his faces.

"What the hell! You're always doing that!" Once again his anger amused me.

"Doing what?" I averted my gaze and whistled.

"That, you avoid our questions!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do, you're doing it now!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ed was about to yell back but we both froze, tensing up. I could feel an evil aura resonating from across the table. The feeling of black tendrils choking me began. I don't know who looked but someone did. All I could remember was seeing the bottom of a shoe colliding with my face.

My cheek throbbed but I refused to whine. The last thing I wanted was to bring on Izumi's wrath back with any whine. I had a new found terror for that woman.

The bubbles from the soap slid off the now cleaned dishes. Izumi had put me on kitchen duty after slapping me with her sandal. I stared at the large pile of dishes and sighed heavily. Pouring soap into the empty side of the sink I thought to myself, 'Kitchen duty isn't so bad, just a ton of work.' Yet again, another sigh escaped my mouth. 'At least it will keep my mind off…' Shaking my head I snapped out of it, I refused to even think about remembering.

Instead I thought about something else. Winry, perfect subject. The blonde had gone off with Sig to grab extra groceries; leaving me and Ed to suffer. I was wrong, Winry would not protect me from that woman's wrath, no one could. I guess you could say I got off easy with kitchen duty; Izumi was currently chewing Ed out in the living room.

Curiosity got the better of me. I turned the faucet on and walked toward the door, lightly pressing my head against it. A grin flew to my lips, Ed was going to be punished like a little kid, and I would not miss that for anything in the world.

"We transmuted our mother!" My eyes widened as I took this information in. This was not what I expected Ed to say.

"We only wanted to see our mothers smile again." Al spoke next; the echoic voice was laced with such sorrow that it caused my heart to feel pangs of sympathy.

Suddenly, I heard a deafening crunch and a thud. "Your bigger fools than I thought! Ed you lost your right arm and left leg while Alphonse lost his entire body. Your directly disobeyed my teachings!" Izumi's voice was seething with anger. A thunderous smack echoed through my ears and was followed by another thud.

"Brother!" I guess Ed go slugged.

"I'm fine Al."

"Ed, I have one question for you." Izumi spoke once more. There was so much tension that it flowed from the pores of the door and into the kitchen; causing goose bumps to crawl on my skin. "Did you see _it_?" My breath hitched.

The silence seemed to go on forever, but finally Ed replied, "Yes." All of my suspicions had been correct.

"Sacrifices…" It came out as the smallest of whispers. Once again my thoughts were jumbled. The sound of rushing water brought me back to reality. My attention was drawn back to the sink and dirty dishes, but I was unable to see any of it. Bubbles had overrun half of the kitchen while I had been distracted. "Ah!" Swiftly, I ran over to the grand mess. The suds were spilling out of the sink and all over the floor. "What do I do?" My cry escalated, I grabbed the sides of my head and began to panic. Izumi was going to kill me. Taking my hands, I began to scoop up the bubbles and tossing it back into the overflowing sink. Sadly, with my poor luck, I tripped falling on my back with a loud thud. My brown poncho was no soaked and plastered to my thin frame.

"What the hell?" Izumi's voice boomed. I was so dead. If I thought that smack earlier hurt, then I had another thing coming.

I could already feel the bruises forming on my delicate skin.

The boat rocked back and forth on the choppy water. I laid my head on the side of the vassal and watched the long tips of my hair dip into the water. My body no longer hurts but trust me it had. Yesterday that woman had given me one hell of a beating.

Ed and Al sat on each side of me, while Izumi stood at the front of the boat. She had said something about re-educating and an island.

Sighing, I dipped my arm into the water as well. It was not cold but it was not warm either, just the right temperature. This was so boring; no one spoke or even moved.

"Stop that." I did not even turn my head when Ed spoke. I could just picture the way he was sitting, arms crossed with an annoyed expression.

"Stop what?" I rolled my eyes and stared deeply into the clear water. Fish, there were a lot of fish swimming around.

"Sighing so much, it's getting annoying."

"Well excuse me." Sand, now I could see the bottom. 'Wow, shallow just like Ed. 'I smirked to myself. The boat stopped, we must be here. I did not even bother moving.

Before a fight could break out between me and Ed, Izumi stepped in. She grabbed my poncho.

"What are you-" Before I could finish the half crazed woman tossed me out of the boat. With a hard thud, I landed on some not so soft sand.

Two more thuds and then the next thing I knew I was being crushed. She had tossed Ed and Al on top of me.

"Teacher!" Both boys hopped off of me. Gasping I took in air, sweet oxygen!

"It is the same rules as last time! You are here to survive for one month, with no alchemy!" Looking up I could see her beginning to row away.

"Hey!" Panic shot through me. "What about me? Why am I here?" I could not stay here, this was not happening.

Black daggers stabbed me as she finally looked up from her rowing. "If I let you stay in my house for a whole month you might end up destroying it!" Was she still mad about that?

"I didn't mean to, I'm sorry! Don't leave me here!"My pleas were in vain as she rowed away faster, soon disappearing.

"It will be okay Leah. We've survived on this island before." Al's reassuring voice did help, but not by a whole lot. I was touched that he was trying to comfort me, though.

Standing up, I smiled at the suit of armor. "Thanks Al." Glancing back at the horizon, I sighed. This was going to be a long month.

Ed's POV

Edward stoked the fire and glanced back over to his brother. Al sat in the water, waiting for the fish to come. It was a curse to have such a body, but it did come in handy.

Sighing, Ed sat back and looked towards the sky. It had been such a long time since him and his brother had been here. This was where he and his brother had learned the most important rule of alchemy, and despite it being so important they still broke it. Ed already knew the reasoning behind teacher placing him and his brother here.

"Edward!" Turning his head, he could see Leah running towards him. She was waving a piece of fruit in her hand. "Look, I found food!" A wide smile etched her face as she reached him and handed it to him.

"Thanks, why not go find more?" He was surprised and wary of her new demeanor; of course he did not hate it, it was better than constantly arguing with the girl.

"Sounds like a plan! What would you do without me?" A wide grin replaced her smile. He sweatdropped and slightly shook his head, he cannot mock her for being so arrogant; Edward was the same way.

Ed turned back to Al after she disappeared into the forest. "Alright Al, lets empty you out before she gets back." The last thing he wanted to do was explain why his brother had no body to Leah. Water poured out as Al clanked onto the shore. Opening his hatch a few fish fell out along with the remaining water. "Sweet, we got dinner! Teacher underestimates us!" Ed cheered, clenching his automail fist in triumph.

The smell of the fish made Ed's mouth water. He had not eaten breakfast or lunch and it was already late in the afternoon.

"Brother the fish is almost ready." Al sat next to him. The suit of armor prodded the fire making it crackle.

"Good, I'm starving!"

"Well that's too bad." What did his brother mean? Turning away from the delicious scented fish, Ed faced his brother. "We cannot eat without Leah." Oh yeah, she had done off earlier searching for more fruit but has yet to return. No wonder why it was so peaceful around here. "You will end up eating all of the food before she even knew it was ready!" Al was right, that's why Ed got a bit irritated. Despite becoming irritated, Ed knew there was no arguing with 'Mama' Al. Grumbling, he stood up and began to trudge away. "And don't even think of coming back without her!" Ed stepped into the dense foliage.

Ed was growing frustrated; he had been searching for half an hour and the heat was no aid. Seriously how long could it take to find a girl on a small island like this? Forever, that was Ed's answer!

His mind wandered as he trudged through the blistering forest. Al's attitude puzzled Ed even more; the suit of armor had been acting strange since they arrived in Dublith. 'Does Leah have anything to do with it?' The blonde wondered. The previous evening as the boys had been going to bed, Ed had asked him but all he could get out of his brother was, 'Don't worry, it is nothing.' The stubborn younger brother would not budge. Thinking like this only irritated Ed further.

Ruffling his hair, he stopped in his tracks and glared at a small rock in his path. Taking in a big breath, he launched forward and kicked the defenseless rock.

_Blip_

That did not sound like it hitting anything solid. Ed was puzzled, he knew he was somewhere close to the center of the island and so the beach was not anywhere within kicking distance. Curious as to what the rock had landed in, Ed followed where the sound had come from.

Once he reached his destination, his breath was stolen. A big pool of water glimmered in the late sun. The thick bushes gleamed from the dew that had formed. It was a beautiful sight to see.

"I guess it formed over the years." This was a new sight to the alchemist. New but still breathtaking. It had been years since Ed had been here with his brother so it only made since that the island would change as well. He knelt down and leaned over the edge of the pool, looking into the water. Despite squinting his eyes, Ed could not see the bottom. "It must be connected to the lake, basically a big hole in the middle of the island." He leaned upwards and placed his thumb under his chin and began to ponder the variety of ways that such a thing could form.

While the poor blonde pondered he failed to notice the growing shadow within the water. Ed was crushed as the shadow leapt out of the water and pinned him to the ground. Algae smothered his face, impairing his sight. "The hell?" He let out a cry as he squirmed trying to kick the thing off of him. Clapping his hands together he was ready to turn his automail into a weapon but the laughter of the creature stopped him.

"I can't believe you fell for that, some alchemic prodigy you are!" Leah got off of him and peeled the algae clinging to Ed's face. The girl's wide grin was met with his glare. She began to remove the algae that had been clinging to her soaked poncho, all the while laughing.

"I didn't expect that to happen!" Cheeks ablaze, he stood up.

"Calm down," She was still giggling, struggling to get her words out, "I was only messing with you."

Ed stayed silent but refused to admit defeat and so was glaring at the dirty blonde. Ignoring his glare, Leah grabbed the edge of her poncho and began to lift it. Quickly realizing what the girl was doing, Ed turned around a bright blush dusting his face. "What the hell are you doing?" Did this girl have no decency?

"What are you talking about?" With a wet plop, he heard the poncho fall to the ground.

Images assaulted his mind and he swatted each one away. A hand was placed on his shoulder and that is when Ed snapped. Smacking her hand away Ed turned facing her. "Don't touch me when your –" Blinking twice he realized that she was not naked. She had on a tight black shirt that barely covered her stomach. The sleeves hugged her thin arms and ended right at the elbow. Her baggy light brown shorts sagged lightly from the weight of the water; reaching just passed her knees. It was a simple outfit that was easily hidden beneath the poncho.

"Awwwww, you big pervert you. You were hoping to see naked, weren't you?" She widely smirked, that was never good.

"N-not true, I turned around s I couldn't see you! You have no decency!" The blush was out of control as he panicked to try and save his dignity.

She picked up her poncho and began to wring it out; the smirk still playing on her lips. "You're too easy to mess with sometimes." Lightly laughing she draped the damp poncho over her shoulder.

Once again he refused to admit defeat. "Well **you** are too carefree!" She only smiled and sat down. Dipping her feet into the water she let out a sigh. "What were you doing swimming around anyway? You were supposed to be collecting fruit." Giving in, he sat next to her but criss-crossed his legs instead.

"It was too hard to resist." The wind picked up and gently tugged their hair.

"Well Al sent me to get you; dinner is ready." He waited a moment for her to respond but got nothing. Her purple eyes were fixated on the water at the other side of the pool.

Ed was about to stand but Leah finally spoke. "Al's armor is empty, isn't it?" That stopped him in his tracks.

Silence hung thick in the air for several moments. "How do you know?" Being shocked was an understatement; Ed was stupefied. How did she know?

"Al was thrown on top of me, remember? The armor should have weighed a lot more than it did." Ed turned his head and faced her. Her all knowing gaze bore down on him. He waited, waited for her to ask what had happened to Al's body but the question never came. "You two must have suffered." She turned away from him, light dancing across her eyes as it turned back to the water. "You guys suffered so much, but still continue to keep going, that requires a lot of courage and strength."

Finally, Ed turned away from her. Silence once again hung like a curtain. She seemed to know some of their story, but Ed knew nothing of hers. "What about you? You speak as if you know what we went through."

More silence, and then, "Yeah, I suffered as well. Maybe not as much as you did, or maybe more but that doesn't matter. What you go through in life makes us who we are, no point in wishing we can take things back."

Ed watched the water lap against the mini beach shore. How much did she really know? Before he could ask her anything she spoke again.

"We should head back." The serious tone was gone, replaced with a cheery one. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. "I'm hungry enough to eat all shares of the food!"

With his stomach taking over, Ed lost all other thoughts. "Oh hell no! You shouldn't get any food; you did nothing but relax in water!" He pointed an accusing finger at her.

Sticking her tongue out, she darted for the tree line, the poncho firmly gripped in her hand. Clenching back his string of curses, Ed darted after her.

**IM SO SORRY THAT IT IS SO LATE! I was also having trouble on how to end this chapter and what kind of information I should throw in. I know you are all curious about who this girl is, some of you may even have a suspicion! I would like to know what yall think about whom this girl is and what her past might be. Of course I won't tell yall but it would be interesting! AGAIN SO SORRY IT WAS LATE! I will do my best to get the next chapter in on time. Plus in the next chapter yall are gonna see not only action but more info on this character! **

**Ed and Al: About time. **

**Me: What?**

**Ed: I am tired of not knowing who this chick is. **

**Me: You be fine, if you keep whining I might just not include that part in the next chapter. **

**Leah: Yeah Ed, People like having that mysterious character. **

**Ed: Sais you**

**Al: please review!**


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